Little Green Cap, Sequel to One Night With Kevin
by peetz5050
Summary: Cedars of Lawndale Hospital: Daria has suffered an horrific attack. She has been beaten, stabbed and raped. She's lucky to be alive.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: This is fanfiction, done for fun and no money is being made. Daria and related characters are the property of Glenn Eichler and MTV/Viacom._

**Little Green Cap – a follow on to 'One Night With Kevin'**

One thing she was fairly sure of... mostly sure?... a bit sure... let's say sure of was... what?... Ohhh yeah... that was it... she was pretty sure neither heaven or hell smelled of... what is that stuff? detergent?... no... disinfectant!... yes that was it... dis... in... fec... tant. Pleased with having worked this important problem out she went back to sleep for a while.

So now that she knew it was disinfectant what did that mean?... Where am I?... Oh God no... now she was some stupid lame ass girl in a story... "Where am I"... like some pathetic LOSER!... no... she was... she was... she was... Daria. 'm Daaraa' she murmured. A woman's voice... who?... said 'She's awake, you should try and talk to her... even if she doesn't make much sense for now.'

It took a moment for Daria to realise that the empty white sky was probably a ceiling and she wasn't wearing her glasses. The sun... sun?... light... yes light was eclipsed by a head which came in from the side incredibly slowly and filled her vision... it was like the spaceship in that moviee... what was it? Straw? Star?  
A hole in the godlike face opened and words came out which gradually resolved themselves in Daria's consciousness as someone calling her name.

For just a moment her mind cleared and she recognized the face and said 'Jane'... although for some reason it came out sounding more like 'Dhane.' Her tongue felt funny... no... her teeth felt... wrong... she had a memory of something being in her mouth and biting down, hard... and some man yelling... Jane was here... that was nice... she went to sleep again.

There seemed to be less light now, she could just make out the fitting in the ceiling and it was off... light was coming from somewhere else and it seemed to be quieter somehow... a sense of nothing happening. She tried to move her head and almost screamed at the stab of pain it caused in her neck, it made her aware of some sort of collar... brace? What? She took a moment to take stock. She was in bed. By the smells she was in a hospital. As an experiment she moved her arms, there seemed to be various tubes and things attached to them but they weren't in restraints... good... it wasn't that nightmare then. She tried moving her legs then and passed out from the AGONY it caused in her crotch.

... OK... let's take this reeeaaaal slow. I'm hurt... bad... how bad? BAD... So what happened?... What... no no nononononNO NO NO! DO NOT THINK ABOUT THAT!

Her breathing slowed down to normal again. She remembered something. 'Jane?' It came out as a croak but she heard a movement nearby and a head of tousled black hair came into view.

'Daria? Can you hear me? Are you awake?'

'Yes... I think so anyway... but I feel... my mouth is so dry could I get some water?'

'I'll get a nurse.'

A few minutes later a white clad figure approached the bed and leaned in so Daria could see her better. 'Hello Daria. I'm Laura, the ward sister. Do you know where you are?'

'Hospital. But I don't know which one.'

'Good. Well you're in Cedars of Lawndale. You have quite a collection of injuries and you were in surgery for a long time. Your friend said your mouth was dry?'

'Yes... very... parched.'

'Well I'm afraid I have some... bad... news about that. You're body is receiving nourishment and hydration through this IV drip in your arm. The surgeon had to remove a section of your small intestine and it will take some time to heal so I'm afraid you can have nothing orally for a few days. Now I can let you rinse out your mouth so long as you promise not to try and swallow any. Do you understand?'

Daria nodded, which hurt, so she said ''ess' which hurt a bit less. With the nurse's help she rinsed out her mouth and spat it into a dish. 'M' teeth feel funny, why' that?'

'Some of your teeth were knocked out during the... incident. The oral surgeon was able to reseat them for you.'

Daria heard Jane snicker nearby. 'Wha'?' She asked.

'You bit him... the oral surgeon... you bit him when he was checking your teeth earlier today... or I mean yesterday now... it's three-thirty A.M. Sunday morning, if you're interested.' Jane replied.

Daria adjusted her thinking to accommodate this information then she asked 'My Mom? Dad?'

'They're all here in Cedars dear.' The nurse answered 'But they're asleep now. They were with you all day yesterday sitting by your side.'

'Why is... I mean why are you here, Jane, and not my Mom.. not that I'm complaining, but why...?'

'It was her actually, she insisted that I get this spare bed in your room, technically I'm in hospital for tests. I'm having my head examined at last!'

'Did they find anything?' Daria deadpanned.

'Nada.'

'Figures. Just as I suspected.' Daria stayed silent for a while then thinking. Finally she said '****! It must be really bad, am I dying?'

'No dear, of course not.'

'You did die Amiga... twice.' There was a catch in Jane's voice now and although Daria couldn't see her very well she knew her friend was close to tears. 'Daria... issalll my fault... I shouldna left you alone... I'm sorry... I'm... I shouldn't even be here I'm not a good friend I... I... I let you down I...'

'Jane!' Daria managed to almost shout despite the pain it caused her. 'Shaddap! I don't wanna hear it! Alright? I wake up inna hospital, you're here... it's good... rest is bull****! Don't wanna hear it, right? Need my friend... please... Jane?'

Jane was staring at her, then she stood up from her bed and came over to Daria and leaned in close. She said 'I really want to hug you right now, despite you being you. But I'm afraid I'll rip out your stitches so I'll settle for this.' She kissed Daria's cheek, then her forehead. 'You look like ****, you know that, worse than usual I mean.'

Daria tried to smile and realized that hurt too. 'How bad?'

'D'you remember that film we watched "Mask"?'

'Jim Carrey one?'

'No, that was "The Mask", I mean the one where Cher played this biker chick and Eric Stoltz played her son and his face was all deformed and stuff.'

'Oh yeah, I remember that.'

'You remember the son?'

'Yeah.'

'Well you look way worse than that, some soccer players came in yesterday wanted to use your head as a football.'

'Feels like someone already did.' She smiled, or tried to, in Jane's direction to let her know that Jane had responded the way Daria needed her to, then she continued 'I feel like... is the nurse still here? Where are my glasses?'

'Yes dear, I'm still here. Your glasses were broken and your mother said your spare pair were cracked. She's ordered a new pair but because of your prescription they couldn't do them in the one-hour service but they should be ready tomorrow. Did you want to ask something else? I have to go on my rounds in a minute.'

'Yes, am I on painkillers? I feel a bit... I dunno.. spaced out or something... is that normal? Oh... and I need to pee.'

'Actually you don't. There's a catheter in place but like the mouth dryness you're going to feel like that for a while, it's an artifact of the anesthetic. Don't try to hold it or anything, nothing will happen either way but you'll just drive yourself crazy. You've just had major surgery so yes you are on painkillers, they're in your drip. Let one of us know if any major pain starts to come through and we'll adjust your dosage.'

'It really hurts if I move my neck... or my legs... is that...?'

'Hmm, hmm, pretty much what we expected. You'll just have to lie around for a while and let others fetch and carry. Pretend you're a princess.'

Daria and Jane groaned at the same time then Daria held back a chuckle and Jane laughed out loud.

Daria tried to relax then and thought maybe she could at least let Jane go back to sleep. Jane rather gratefully agreed to get back into her own bed, even in the dim light and without her glasses Daria could tell that Jane was worn out. Before she drifted off Daria said to her 'Jane. Remember that story I wrote... two stories actually... they were a bit personal... about my Mom having me committed to a mental institution because of a misunderstanding... do you remember?'

Jane was now wide awake again and scared stiff but she kept her voice tired sounding and neutral. 'Yeah, sure, I remember those... scared me they were so real... like they had happened or could happen, ya know?'

'Yep. Ehmm... two things... I hate to ask but...'

'Spit it out Amiga, whaddya need?'

'Well first please tell me... is this real? Are you here?' There was a wail in Daria's voice as she asked this. In a second Jane was by her side, she carefully examined Daria's arm for an area that had no obvious bruises or tubes attached and pinched it.

'Yow! You bitch!' Daria shouted. 'What'd you do that for?'

'I'm really here, Amiga, really, and always... unless you send me away...'

Daria caught her hand 'Never gonna happen, Freakin friends, remember, til we come to bad ends.'

Jane turned her head away to hide her tears, she said 'That's just it... it nearly was a bad end...'

'Which would you rather be: nearly drowned or nearly saved?'

Jane looked back at her. "Glad you're still here, Freakin Friend. What was the other thing?'

'What?'

'You said two things.'

'Well maybe more than two, I think I could use a visit from Aunt Amy. But other than you there was a coping mechanism I wrote about, not thinking about the very worst thing, do you remember?'

'I remember.'

'I need to do that for real now, please understand.'

'I think I get it, avoid certain subjects... or a certain subject, right?'

'Right. Could you... inform everyone else... I'll think about it when I can think about it and not scream OK?'

'OK, night Amiga.'

'Night Jane.'

* * *

The two stories I've attributed to Daria here are actually 'Diary Dearest' by Renfield, which is pretty nightmarish and is the sort of thing Daria could imagine happening to herself if her Mom became convinced she needed 'Help'.  
The second is Galen Hardesty's(The Lawndale Stalker) follow up fic 'The Whole Truth' which gave a more upbeat resolution to the episode.

I can imagine Daria needing to avoid thinking about what actually happened to her and using real techniques like those described in 'The Whole Truth' to help her cope.

I am aware that the subject matter of 'One Night With Kevin' and this follow on (not really a sequel as the first one was entirely from Kevin's perspective) deal with sensitive issues and I personally would rather water down the drama a little rather than cause offense or trauma to any person. The on/off nature of the opening section is based on my own experiences of general anesthesia.  
Kind regards to all who bother to read my ramblings.  
Pete


	2. Chapter 2

**P2**

She awoke slowly. It felt more like waking up than the last few times, when it was more like switching a light bulb off and on, instant transition from consciousness to nothingness and back. She definitely didn't like that sensation. She'd had another conversation with Jane sometime around dawn and had switched off in the middle of a sentence and woke up some time later still speaking. This time was more normal. She felt a dull ache from a couple of different areas of her body. She was aware that there was a lot more pain there but it was being held back by something... a wall? No, a dam... she could visualize it as a Hoover Dam in her brain holding back the pain that would drive out her sanity... hmm, that was almost poetic, she should write that down.'I am definitely not thinking straight.' She thought to herself. 'Damn dams, damn drugs, damn thugs... NO!'  
Her eyes flickered open and she squinted around the room. Jane's bed looked empty. She could hear sounds from out in the hallway, people talking, trolleys being wheeled, the clink of plates... plates...

'Am I hungry? Doesn't matter, can't eat... oohhh God I smell bacon! Not for you Missy.'  
Aloud she recited to herself:  
'If you see Kay  
Tell him he may  
See you in tea  
Tell him from me.'

'What are you driveling on about now, Morgendorffer? Turn my back for ten minutes and you're spouting bad poetry.' Jane said as she walked in, toweling her hair and wearing a bathrobe.

'If you see Kay.' Daria said again, then stopped and tried to smile but found it still hurt. 'What time is it? You literary Philistine.'

'I always wanted to be more of a Libertine than a Philistine... you get better underwear for starters... anyway it's a little before eight, they start the day early in hospital. Your Mom and Quinn were already here but they didn't wanna wake you, they've gone to the cafeteria for brekkie, mine's on the way, Jeeves is bringing it up.'

'Serves him right for eating it.' They said in unison, both managing a smile.

'Was my Dad here?'

'Well... he's here in the hospital... coupla doors down as a matter of fact... I said hello to him on my way to the shower, he's... he's looking a lot better so don't worry.' She added a little too quickly.

Suspicious now, Daria asked 'What are you failing to not say, Lane?'

'Look he's..., he's going to be fine all right? But he... took it hard... what happened to you, I mean... when he saw what they did to your face and all... it was only a minor one OK?'

'Minor. What. Jane?'

'Heart attack, but like I keep saying he's gonna recover fully and be his old self in no time, unfortunately.' She added with a smile to try and lighten the mood.

'More trouble, as the condemned man said when told he was not only going to be beheaded but hanged, drawn and quartered as well... can I see him? Can I get a wheelchair or something? And could you help me rinse out my mouth again, please.'

Jane fetched the cup and dish and said 'You can't move but he can come here, they wheeled him in yesterday but not for long... it upsets him to look at you and he keeps blaming himself as if he coulda done something... ya know? He's also afraid you might not want a man near you... after... .'

Jane didn't know what way to put it without breaking her promise to her friend but Daria came to her rescue as she spat out the water. 'That's a load of baloney and you know it, he's my Dad... I want to see him... even if he can't look at me... am I... am I really that hideous? Please Jane just tell me, I can take it but I have to know how bad...'

'It's pretty bad but most of it is swelling from the pounding you got... they set your nose and were able to reseat your teeth though a couple of them are chipped and will need to be crowned, the dentist ground the edges off the broken bits so you don't cut your tongue. You're black and blue from bruising but some of them are already turning yellow. Just get Quinn to do your make-up and you could be in the Fashion Club.'

'I still have that shovel and a nice soft patch of the backyard just near the septic tank picked out for you Lane, just say one more word.'

Jane just grinned back impudently. 'Ya'd have to catch me first... and with your short hairy legs that's not gonna happen.' She turned serious then for a moment. 'Listen Daria, none of your external injuries are that bad, you'll have a scar here.' She pointed to her lower left abdomen as she spoke. 'But it'll only be visible when you're wearing that string bikini down at the Va Va Voom club. There's still a high risk of infection, you lost a lot of blood and your spleen and intestine were cut which they said could cause blood poisoning. They've given you... how did he say it? Oh yeah... broad spectrum antibiotics so hope for the best there and then there was the other thing...'

'Just say it quick.' Daria said closing her eyes tight and clenching her fists.

'Your Mom paid extra to have the blood tests done real fast by a private medical lab, you're clear of std's and they administered a morning-after pill so there should be no... ehm... surprises there in nine months.'

Daria nodded but remained clenched up murmuring 'If you see Kay' and 'See you in tea' over and over to herself. After a minute of this a light bulb popped in Jane's mind and she got it. Daria rarely swore and this was her way of dealing with. A candy-striper came in just then with Jane's food and the moment of tension was passed. Jane ate quickly as she could see the aromas were bothering Daria. When she was done she took her tray outside and went into the en-suite toilet to brush her teeth.

She came out just as Helen and Quinn returned from the cafeteria. Helen went straight up to Daria and very carefully hugged her and kissed her in the undamaged parts of her face. Daria actually returned the hug gingerly and made no effort to avoid or break away from Helen's attentions. This struck Jane as a mark of how badly Daria was feeling inside, no matter what kind of brave face she put up. Helen had washed and showered but still wore the same clothes and she looked rumpled and unkempt, her hair barely brushed and the heavy rings under her eyes evidence of very little sleep.

Helen sat carefully on the edge of her daughter's bed and held both of her hands clasped in her own. She didn't flinch at Daria's damaged face but gazed straightforwardly into her eyes and asked 'How are you, sweetie? Do you need anything?'

'To tell the truth I've been better Mom... but I think I'm gonna be ok.' Her eyes, now moist with unshed tears flicked to Jane and back to her Mother and she mouthed 'Thank you.' Then louder she said 'I just need two more things... first...' She loosed one hand from Helen and reached out to Quinn, who had been hanging back by the door. Quinn rushed over, already crying and caught Daria in a fierce hug, causing her to wince with pain but she didn't cry out, instead returning the gesture. Quinn started to say 'Daria I'm so sor...' but Daria interrupted her saying 'Hush Quinn, don't forget, anything you say will be taken down and used in evidence against you, right Mom? I get it Quinn, thank you, thanks for being here... and thanks for being my sister.'

Quinn sniffed and said 'Stop it, you're making me cry and do you know what crying looks like in someone with my coloring? It'll take me hours to do my make-up.' She tried to pout as she spoke but couldn't help it turning into a grin as Daria gave her the evil eye.

'D'aawww!' Jane snarked, 'You're making feel all mushy inside.'

'You're mushy inside your head Lane.' Daria retorted. She turned to Quinn and said 'Don't worry coz, normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.'

Quinn shook her head vehemently at this and said 'NO, No No! Never that again... I almost lost my sister and I want you to always be my sister ok? Please?'

Daria managed a smile at her and said 'OK... but still no makeovers.' Quinn nodded, then said 'I brought you something from the shop, but I know you can't eat it yet.'

'Oh, what is it?'

'Hard boiled eggs and nuts.'

Daria tried to hold it but couldn't, she burst out laughing then went 'Oooh, oooh, ooh that hurts, don't make me laugh! Ohh!'

Jane was laughing too and Quinn was smirking like the cat who ate the canary, it was rare indeed when she managed to score one with her sister and she was proud of herself for thinking it up by herself, though that long conversation with Jane yesterday had been a real eye-opener. Helen looked at the three of them as if they'd gone mad, clearly not getting the reference.

Helen said 'Sweetie about your glasses... they don't do them like your old ones any more so I ordered a pair as close as I could get... I hope they're ok, they should be ready this afternoon, normally it's four days for your prescription but they made an exception for you.'

'Didn't you defend them against that shyster last year?'

Helen smiled grimly 'Why yes, I may have done, how nice of you to remember.' After a pause she went on 'Daria... Jane told us... she explained about the story you wrote and what you want us to do... or not do... but I just wanted to say if you need to talk or want me to get a professional counsellor or...'

'No Mom... not yet anyhow... I need you three and Dad... can I see Dad please?' Helen nodded. 'I'd also like to talk to Amy... I know but please... she's a friend too and I have precious few of those and I value the one's I do have, it would kill her if she found out later and none of us called her... please Mom?'

Helen sighed and said 'I feel... I just feel that I should be the first person... I'm your Mother for God's sake and I...'

'I know Mom, and you are the first person and you did the one thing that I needed to stop my head from exploding.' She indicated Jane as she spoke. 'I know what that must have cost you, personally I mean, giving up what should have been your place but it was the right thing, thank you.'

Helen sat with more tears in her eyes. Sorrowful and grateful and happy and with infinite sadness at what her daughter had had taken from her, she quietly wept. Just then her mobile phone rang. Each of the women turned her eyes to heaven knowing what that meant, Helen's phone was tethered, it could only get or make calls to or from the office.

She stood and took the phone from her pocket, eyeing the odious little lump of plastic with distaste. She pressed a button and put it to her ear and said briskly 'Eric, I told you I have a family crisis, I'm with my daughter in the hospital right now whatever this is will have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest.' She listened for a moment and then tried to interrupt the speaker 'Eric I... ERIC... I SAID...'  
Without warning she turned and threw the phone at the wall with all her might where it shattered and fell in pieces, leaving a hole in the plaster where it struck. Then Helen stood, shaking and fuming, until Quinn came and wrapped her in a hug. Daria waved to Jane to go and help and said 'Way to go Mom!'

* * *

The rhyme Daria recites is from the 'Night town' chapter of 'Ulysses' by James Joyce.


	3. Chapter 3

**P3**

'Good morning Daria, Ladies. I'm Doctor Philips, do you remember me Daria?'

'Yes Doctor, good morning.' Daria was surprised to suddenly find herself nervous and uncomfortable. She found herself reaching for a hand and grasped the nearest one which belonged to Quinn.

'Daria, I need to check your dressing and your general health. How are you feeling?' He took the chart from the end of her bed and came up beside her. Daria involuntarily shrank away from him. The doctor noticed this but continued in a light tone. 'You're still on very heavy medication so you're bound to experience strange feelings. We have to walk a tightrope between managing the pain and turning you into an addict.' He noticed Daria was reluctant to answer him so he said. 'I understand you're a little nervous so here's the deal, I have to examine you, we don't have a female doctor on duty this morning. I'll call in a nurse and your Mother can stay with you throughout, OK? Mrs. Morgendorffer is that all right with you? I'd advise not looking too close when we remove the bandage and you'll both have to wear a surgical mask.'

Helen nodded her assent and said to Daria 'I'll stay with you sweetie, we'd best let the doctor get on with it.' Her heart was breaking as she saw how frightened and miserable... and how very young she looked at that moment. 'Jane, perhaps you'd better have a quick word with Doctor Philips before the nurse gets here hmm?' Jane stood and waved the puzzled looking doctor out the door. Daria was immediately more relaxed. A few minutes later Jane and Quinn were sitting beside each other on Jane's bed and the screens had been drawn around Daria's. Helen sat beside her daughter holding her hands and keeping her attention. With a minimum of fuss Doctor Philips and the nurse changed the bandage and cleansed the wound, considerably larger than the original stab wound due to the gross surgery required to repair the damage to her organs.  
Normally Daria would have been morbidly interested in this sort of thing if only for research on her stories but she couldn't look at herself and kept her eyes tightly shut throughout, clinging to her mother. The second part of the examination was even more difficult as it took all of Helen and the doctor's persuasion to convince Daria to open her legs. Philips was remarkably quick and got it over with as soon as he could, then left the room to wash up and give Daria time to recover.

Daria whispered a request to Helen as she released her and Helen asked 'Are you sure sweetie?' Daria nodded, Helen rose and intercepted the doctor as he came back in. One or two words of their murmured conversation could be heard in the room and all three girls winced and teared up again when they distinctly heard the word "vaginal". After a few minutes Helen came back in and sat on Daria's bed. 'I know you don't want details sweetie but I thought you'd like to know that the doctor is very pleased with your condition and there's every hope for a full recovery. Is there anything you want to ask me?'

Daria thought about this for a while and then a little nervously and with sideways glances at her sister and her friend she whispered a question to Helen. Helen carefully considered how to answer discreetly and finally said 'There's no reason why not as far as I know from what the doctor told me, but I'll ask that specific question to set your mind at rest, OK?' Daria nodded, satisfied, then she closed her eyes and appeared to doze off.

* * *

Shortly before lunch on Monday Daria looked up form the card game she was playing with Jane and her Father to see Quinn enter her room. Raising an eyebrow she asked 'Quinn? I thought you were back in school today, did you bunk off?'

With a sidelong glance to assess her Father's mood Quinn answered 'I was... but I... kind of... got sent home...'

'And why did you kind of get sent home, may I ask?'

'Well I...please stay calm Dad she totally deserved it after what she said.'

'Who and what?' Jane asked, curious.

'Sandi.' Quinn shrugged.

'Aaannd?'

'Well I may have broken her nose... a bit.' There was dead silence for a full minute, then everybody laughed.

'Don't tell me what she said, I can guess. Are you in a lot of trouble?'

'Not really, Sandi decided to mouth off in the hallway, you know she likes an audience. It was a really bad move for her. Even Tiffany was disgusted. Mr. DeMartino heard her and reported it to Ms. Li, when she gets back from her two week's suspension she's to attend self-esteem class.'

'But Sandi doesn't have low self-esteem...' Daria began... 'She has low esteem for everybody else.' The three girls chorused. Jake smiled and said 'I never tell you girls enough how proud I am of you both... and you too Jane.' Jane looked embarrassed but thrilled at the praise.

'So, tell us more, what happened.' Jane asked Quinn.

'Well I won't repeat what she said but everybody just went quiet... like in a movie when a bomb starts ticking. I was just stuck, I couldn't move... I mean I couldn't believe a girl would say that about ANY other girl who...' Quinn caught the warning look from Jane and stopped. Changing tack she continued 'Anyway over her shoulder I saw Jodie being held back by Kevin and Mack had just grabbed Brittany, I think they were both going to go for her and Mr. DeMartino was actually shaking... like a pot boiling over. I just looked in Sandi's eye and decided that sneer had to go... it was sooo last season... so I hit her. Gawd it hurt! I thought I broke my hand!'

'I bet that felt good though, socking it to her like that.' Jane said with a feral grin.

'Gawd, yes! I wish I'd done it in freshman year... but that's not the best part...'

'Go on.'

'Stacy as secretary convened an emergency meeting of the club while we were waiting outside Li's office. The vote was three to one, Stacy is now president and Sandi got booted out of her own club.' Quinn beamed at them as she said this. 'Anybody else who was tempted to say something nasty kept their mouths shut after that. Do you know I couldn't believe how many people came up to me and offered... I don't know... condolences? Best wishes? Anyway I didn't know half of those people knew you existed! A couple of them asked if they could come to visit, Jodie and Mack of course and Upchuck, that goth girl as well as Brittany and Kevin... do you want to see them? Kevin is really concerned and very worried about you, he asked me three times before I was thrown out.'

'Kevin? Why would he care?' Daria asked, puzzled. 'I assumed he would think I was probably beamed up by aliens or something.'

Jake, Quinn and Jane looked nervously at each other. Daria still refused to discuss anything directly related to what she persisted in referring to as "her incident". Jake and Jane went to speak at the same time but Jane held up her hand and said 'I'll do it.' She put down her cards and turned to look directly into Daria's eyes. 'Amiga.' She began. 'I know you're still avoiding thinking about Friday night but there's at least one thing I have to tell you.' Daria had gone white and was breathing rapidly. She started shaking her head. 'Amiga, you know you were attacked, Kevin saved you... he saved your life.'

Daria stopped shaking and stared at her. 'Kevin? Are you serious? Kevin?'

'Not something I'd joke about Daria, no details if you don't want them but he... chased them off... got the cops... got an ambulance... you... probably wouldn't have made it if he wasn't there looking for a burger.'

Daria covered her face with her hands and started muttering to herself, Jane recognized the rhythm of the "If you see Kay" rhyme which she seemed to repeat as a mantra when things got too much for her. Jane thought it might be healthier if she just came right out with it and swore the air blue or pounded her pillows or some damn thing but she kept trying to internalize it, regain her old self-control.

Daria raised her face from her hands. Jane noticed that her friend's familiar face was gradually emerging from the mass of swelling and bruises and she seemed far less lost with her new malachite green framed spectacles perched on her bandaged nose. She seemed remote and cold right now as she looked at them and said 'I need to think for a bit, could you give me a few minutes alone, please... I'd go out but I'm stuck in this godforsaken, goddamned smelly ****in BED!' Her voice had risen to a roar of rage by the time she finished and they all flinched.

'Sure thing Kiddo.' Jake answered. 'But we're only going outside the door, I'm coming back in, this is the best hand I've had all day! Quinn, would you...' Quinn caught the back of his wheelchair and pulled him back from the bed saying 'I've seen those cards old man, no chance.'

Jane took her time getting off the bed where she'd been sitting cross legged beside her friend. Daria said to her 'Do they not realize what's important here? Going on about cards! Idiots!'

Jane looked at her coolly and said 'Ya know Daria... for a smart chick sometimes you can be pretty dumb.'

Before she got out the door Daria growled 'Lane! Get back here you total bitch who has to be right about everything.'

Doing an Igor impression and affecting a lisp Jane minced back to the bed and said 'Yeth Miththreth! What ith your command?'

'Knock it off Meryl... I'm a total screw up amn't I?'

'Nah... not total... ninety percent, tops, but you're learnin', Chica. Listen, don't sweat it, everybody's prepared to cut you some slack. You know they care about you, right?'

Daria pushed her hair away from her face with both hands. 'Who'd a thunk it, huh?'

'Not me, but we live and learn as the cliché says. D'you wanna say sowwy to your daddy now, pumpkin?'

'I hate you. Get 'em back in here...'

'Hey Kiddo, Quinn wants us to deal her in.'

'Were you listening outside the door?'

'Well Gawd Daria, of COURSE we were. Do you like your new glasses?'

Daria couldn't help smiling 'Yes... you picked them out, didn't you?'

'I may have helped, just because you wear glasses doesn't mean they have to be big ugly repulsive things, now those are much more attractive and guys... eeep!'

'It's OK, Quinn. It's not like... it's... it didn't work... did it?'

'No Daria, it didn't.' Jane answered. 'I know several guys who knew there was a pretty girl hiding in there.'

'Oh God, you mean Trent?'

'Yes, and the other guys in the band and a couple of other guys who asked me if you dated and might go out with them.'

'Trent never said anything.'

'He knows he's too old for you Daria... but a guy would have to be blind, gay or dead not to notice you... or dead stupid in the case of certain footballers... the point is... dammit what was my point? Oh yeah, the point is they respect you... they respected your... image or whatever... the whole keep away, don't touch thing.'

Jake said gently 'You were always beautiful to me Kiddo... I know a Dad is supposed to say that even if you looked like a rhinoceros but it's true, you're beautiful and you'll get it back and you'll be ok and able to hold your head up high.'

'But how do you attract... what am I trying to say? Oh God... I mean... DECENT guys, nice guys... not...' She swallowed several times and looked as if she was going to cry again.

'If you find the answer to that one they'll elect you queen of the World, Amiga.' Jane quipped.

Quinn nodded in agreement and added 'Yah, right, go for the big one why don't you That's why I have my system... I let them spend time with me in controlled doses and learn everything I need to know.'

'I thought that was all to do with cars and how they dress and where they could afford to take you.'

'On the surface Daria, on the surface... I'll explain it to you sometime... for a price.' She added with an evil smirk.

'Quinn!' Jake admonished.

'I'm kidding Daddy, we don't do that to each other any more... right Daria?'

Daria smiled wryly and said 'Damn, I'm going to have to find someone else to blackmail... volunteers? Jane?'

'Hah!' After a few seconds Jane added 'Hey D, you seem to be taking things a bit better now, you coping?'

'Maybe. But please don't tell me anything, when I'm ready, I'll ask. I honestly don't think I can deal with Kevin right now though... I mean I want to thank him but he's not... Look maybe if you just thank everybody but say I can't have any visitors, that way I'm not singling him out, OK?'

'I hope that doesn't include me.' Said a new voice from the doorway.

'Amy!' Daria exclaimed as she held her arms out to her aunt who entered the room with Helen at her heels. 'It's so good to see you!'


	4. Chapter 4

**P4**

'So as I said, Daria, you were fortunate that you did not contract any infections and you seem to be recovering satisfactorily.' The turbaned Sikh surgeon said in his slightly comical, to Daria's ears, Punjabi accent. 'There is still a risk of adult respiratory distress syndrome due to the damage to your lungs as well as liver, kidney and brain damage. Unfortunately that's one of the hardest things to quantify, how are you feeling, in yourself?'

'I honestly can't answer that... with any certainty... I don't feel like trying out for cheerleading so I hope my brain is still in there. I can manage to get out to the bathroom on my own now though it still hurts like hell "down there" when I walk.'

'You are pushing yourself a little hard. It's been less than a week since your attack, I am in favor of patients recovering as quickly as they can but... and I must stress this to you... most of your injuries are internal and you don't have pain receptors in the tissues inside there. You could rupture a suture and start bleeding again internally and we wouldn't know about it until your blood pressure drops and you fall down. I must insist that you call a nurse and use a wheelchair until I say otherwise. Please do not fight with me on this, Daria. I am only concerned for you, do you understand?'

Daria sighed. 'I guess so' she answered. 'I just... I mean I just want to go to my own bed in my own home. I can't... it won't be over until I get away from here... no offense... I mean everyone here's been great but...'

'I understand, Daria. But you know you cannot rush things, your body will recover at its own speed and you have to let it. Bluntly, you will be here for at least another week so you should just accept that and try to enjoy the little holiday. Are you so keen to back to school?'

'Hah, no, not that... just my own place, you know? My little sanctuary. School can go and... wait for me, so it can. I think I can catch up.' She added drily.

He smiled at her and said 'I'm glad to see you're in better humor. Your friend explained to me that you were having trouble dealing with the trauma of your attack. Are you coming to terms with that now or are you still avoiding discussion of the issue?'

'Well... at least I can discuss discussing the... issue... if that makes any sense. I know what happened to me, I remember it... but... I don't dwell on it. When I let it I see... faces... and feel...' Her breathing was becoming labored and she was tensing up as she spoke, her knuckles whitening on her clenched fists.

'OK, ok, happy place now, think of bunnies.'

That did it. She turned a glare on him and growled 'My only interest in bunnies is to skin them and make rabbit stew, got any carrots?'

'My my, your friend Jane was right... she knew exactly what you'd say. How do you spell "misdirection"?'

Daria smiled despite herself. 'That bitch is gonna get hers, soon as I get outta here and enroll in a gun club. So you're saying sit down and keep quiet for another week at least?'

'We have cable.'

'Whoop di doo!'

'We have an expression we like to use around here for patients such as yourself. Would you like to hear it?'

'Sure, shoot.'

'You'll live.'

'That's it?'

'Hmm, hmm.'

'Thanks.'

The surgeon took his leave of her and left her alone. Jane had gone back to school that morning and wouldn't be in until the afternoon with Quinn and her Mother. Her Father had been discharged and was resting at home. She picked up the book Quinn had brought in and tried to read it. She was far more worried about the possibility of damage to her brain than she'd let on to the surgeon. This book was a case in point. She'd thanked Quinn for buying her a present of a hardcopy of Umberto Eco's "The Island of the Day Before" but Quinn, looking puzzled, had explained she didn't buy it but taken it from Daria's bedside table. It even had one of Daria's bookmarks between pages 56 and 57 but she had no recollection of ever having seen it before except in a bookshop.

'How do you know what you don't know?' She asked herself. 'How do you know you're not gone mad?' She couldn't answer that one either, so she worried.

'Excuse us Miss, could we speak to you for a moment?' Her reverie was interrupted by an attractive but intense looking Latina woman and an older grizzled looking man both in the uniforms of the Lawndale Police department.

'That depends... I don't know if I'm up to being questioned by the police.' Daria replied. 'Did the Doctor say you could question me?'

'Actually we don't need to question you... well Detective Sergeant O'Malley will want to speak to you but there's no hurry with that, we pretty much have all the details about the case that we need. I'm Sergeant Kendall and this is Officer Alvarez. We really just wanted to see how you were.'

'Oh... well hi, I guess... have we met?' Daria asked worriedly.

'No. We were some of the officers on the scene last Friday night, Miss. May I call you Daria?'

'It's my name... do you... usually visit hospitals...?'

'No Ma'm.' Alvarez spoke up. 'But we don't get cases like yours very often, the whole department wanted to send you our best wishes and hope you make a full recovery.'

'Thanks? Ehmm... would you like to sit down?'

'Thanks. So how are you? Recovering ok?' Asked Kendall. 'Is there anything you need to ask us?' He continued.

'What? No... no... .' She stopped and looked at them for a full minute. "Didyougetthem?' She then asked, all in a rush.

'Yep, we got them... and between O'malley's ploy and your friend Kevin's testimony they're going away, hopefully for a long time. The D.A. Is hoping to get a conviction based on their confession and their testimony against each other without you having to testify.'

'That's... that would be... good... I don't think I could... I mean if I had to... I would hate to have to go through it all again... you know?' Daria was looking distressed.

Alvarez leaned close and took her hand. 'It's ok Daria, it's ok.'

After a few moments to compose herself Daria asked 'What ploy?'

Kendall explained what O'Malley and Kevin had done to Daria's assailants in the early hours of Saturday morning. Daria found she could detach herself from it and hear the story as if it was something on TV. She smiled grimly when she heard how they'd turned on each other. When Kendall was finished his narration Daria said 'I hope they rot forever in the blackest pit of the dirtiest corner of the farthest reaches of hell!'

'Amen, sister.' Alvarez answered, offering her a high five, which she hit, despite the iv drip in her arm.

'We'd better hit the road, bad guys to catch and such.' Kendall then said. 'I'm really glad to see you... I mean I'm happy to meet you, Daria. Glad we could do somethin' for ya. Wish we coulda prevented it but despite what we want people to believe we can't be everywhere. Be well.'

'Thanks Sergeant, Officer.' Daria stared bemusedly at the door for some minutes after the officers left. She let out a long sigh after a while and realized she'd let something go that she didn't know she'd been holding on to. She'd been **** scared at the thought of testifying in a courtroom against... people... men who'd... grabbed her in the STREET LIKE SHE WAS A... a what... what was she? A victim? _'Stop feeling sorry for yourself ya dumb bitch, people have survived worse than this... Holocaust survivors... that little girl in Vietnam and the napalm... soldiers coming back from the war with bits blown off... lotsa people are worse off than you and here you sit in a private room of a private hospital in your white, middle class suburb and what have you to complain about? What?'_

_'A pain in my crotch and the loss of... what?... what was it worth anyhow, lotsa girls just give it away... or... or... sell it...'_ and she knew, **_knew,_** that that didn't make one damn bit of difference because what happened to her happened to her, it was **_her_** pain, **_her_** loss, **_her_** life ruined... if she let it be ruined...

'OK, so maybe I have a choice... me.'


	5. Chapter 5

**P5**

Patrick 'Chip' O'Malley wasn't a typical cop. In fact if you met him socially you'd probably think he was a lawyer or a college professor, some kind of professional anyhow, but not a cop. He'd always looked out of place in a uniform and in truth the reason he'd worked so hard to get his detective's shield was to get out of the damned thing. He tended to dress in tweed or woolen suits with knitted ties. He was a well educated, quiet spoken, considerate and kind man. A gentleman of the old school.

Nowadays, at least, he was liked and respected in the department. This hadn't always been the case. When he'd arrived in Lawndale in 1974 as a wet-behind-the-ears detective with a brand new shield and an actual law degree he couldn't have been more out of place if he'd arrived direct from Mars in a rocket ship. For starters he was the only "person of color" in the department. He was used to prejudice, more than most people at that time having grown up in downtown Baltimore with a black mother and a white father where he'd taken stick from all sides. "Oreo" was the mildest epithet that had been flung at him, words not being the only thing flung at him, as he walked to school in his St. Joseph's Catholic Boys School uniform.

There were two ways he could have gone, he chose what was for him the easiest route and remained alone, his only friends the collection of books that lined his room. He knew he might not have survived his school years if it wasn't for the fact that his Dad was a beat cop in Baltimore, known and respected in the neighborhood, it kept the worst of the school bullies and street gangs from going too far. He'd still had to learn how to fight. Mom and Pop had wanted him to be a lawyer, make a lot of money and live in a fancy house but he had enough genuine love and respect for his father to make him want to follow in his footsteps. At their urging he had gotten his law degree first before joining the force.

Lawndale was a good department to be in. In many ways it was a dormitory town for both Baltimore and DC and many heavy hitting politico's had their homes there, sending their sons and daughters to Fielding Prep or one of the other private schools in the district. Even the public school system had a good reputation and overall there was very little crime. This was not necessarily due to the kind hearts and charitable mindedness of the populace, Lawndale Police was one of the best resourced and politically backed departments in the state, as well as having the highest cop to civilian ratio. It struck Patrick as ironic that some of the biggest crime bosses in the greater DC area had homes there because it was a safe place to raise their kids.

_'It's my job to see that it stays that way'_ he thought to himself as he watched his daughter and her friend run off to their soccer game. _'I'd die if anything like that happened to you, sweetheart'_ was his next thought as he started the car and set off for Cedar's of Lawndale and his appointment with the first victim of violent rape he'd dealt with in over five years. Date rape sure, there'd been too many of those, and lately a few cases of girl's drinks being spiked and them waking up in a strange place minus underwear and dignity. _'Thank God for DNA. At least it gives us a chance of a conviction but some of those girls can't even remember if it was something in their drinks or the fact that they'd drunk a half bottle of vodka... before going out for the evening.'_ He shook his head. _'Murky waters.'_

He found a space in the hospital parking lot and collected his parcel from the trunk. His chat with Helen and the rest of the girl's family and friends had given him some insights into her character so he'd come prepared. He needed to talk to her not interrogate her, he needed to get to know her, get her on board... get her to testify.

He had a quiet word with the ward doctor before going in to get an update on her condition, she was recovering well but still needed to be monitored so she was stuck in hospital. Doctor Philips warned him that she was getting stir crazy and more than a little bit cranky. 'She could strip paint with that tongue of hers so be careful what you say and wear a cup.' Chip smiled and proceeded down the corridor to her room. The door was ajar so he knocked lightly and stuck his head around the door and said 'Hello, anybody home?'

'Ain't nobody here but us chickens.' The dark haired girl said as she looked up from her sketchbook. The red-haired girl in the other chair looked up from the book she was reading and said 'Oh hi Detective Sergeant, nice to see you again. She's asleep at the moment but she usually doesn't nap for long, come on in and take a seat.'

'Thank you Quinn.' He replied looking around the room at all the flowers and get-well cards on every surface and then noticed the large plaque with the golden footballer on the side with MPSSAA Class 4A High School Football State Championship etched onto the brass plate over the outline map of Maryland. 'Great game wasn't it? Kevin making that seventy yard throw for Mack to get the touchdown in the last few seconds of overtime. I roared myself hoarse cheering.'

'Yeah.' Jane answered. 'We watched it on TV, first game we ever watched as a matter of fact, it was pretty exciting. We all got choked up when Kevin dedicated the win to Daria. She was looking for a hole in the floor to fall into yesterday when the whole team came in here to present the trophy to her. I thought it was a nice gesture but God I wished I'd had my camera ready for the look on her face. It did buck her up though, all those hunky guys kissing her and saying what an inspiration she was...'

'Lane! Septic tank. You. Head downwards!'

'Ah I see Sleeping Dragon is awake. Daria, may I present Detective Sergeant Patrick O'Malley of Lawndale Police, he tells everyone to call him "Chip" but won't say why. Chip, may I present Ms. Daria Morgendorffer, spinster of this parish, raconteur, wit, cynical observer of humanity and...'

'JANE!'

'Perhaps it's time for me and Quinn to go and get some lunch, comin' Red?' Quinn put her book down and lightly brushed Daria's hand as she rose and left with Jane.

'Detective, won't you sit down, please.'

'Chip, if you don't mind, this is a semi-social call, OK if I call you Daria?'

'Sure. So... what can I do for you?'

Chip took his time before answering, studying the girl in front of him who was returning his gaze with equal directness. 'Straight and dirty?' She nodded. 'Need you to testify.' She leaned back into her pillows and closed her eyes. He saw her jaw working and she swallowed a few times before she opened her eyes again and looked back at him, resignation showing there now where there had been defiance before.

'No spoonful of sugar?'

'Yes, as a matter of fact I do have one prepared... to be honest when I met you just now I realized tricks wouldn't work... that left direct and brutal, sorry.'

'I get it, thanks for being straight with me, it took forever to get the people in here to stop talking over my head as if I was five... although that was partially my fault... in the first few days I wasn't dealing very well... you know?'

'Hmm, Hmm. How you doing now?'

'Better, not one hundred percent by any means but better. There's more gaps between the irrational crying sessions and the fits of rage. I have some good people in my corner... they surprise you don't they? People I mean.'

'The sad thing is... and I'm speaking as a cop of some thirty odd years... the sad thing is that it can take a tragedy of some sort to bring out the best in people. Suddenly they see what's real, what's important. You see it a lot at funerals, some people are arguing over who gets the furniture but some go out of their way to resolve differences, put old arguments behind them, that sort of thing. You feel a bit of a fool trying to apologize to a coffin.'

'I can see that. So why?'

'Hmm?'

'Why do you need me to testify, I took it from Sergeant Kendall that the D.A. had it sown up.'

'We can get a conviction, but a victim impact statement should get us a harsher sentence and we really want these guys out of the loop for a long time.'

'Yeah, so do I, so, just a statement?'

'Unfortunately, by law in this state their attorneys will have the right to challenge and question you, they may not, of course, and it's actually much more likely that they'll cop a plea and you won't have to so much as look at the courthouse, but we have to have all our little tin cans lined up on the fence before we start shooting.'

'When? That is "If", then when?'

'Several months, at least, could be a year before this goes to trial.'

'Are they out on bail?' Daria asked, looking around, obviously frightened.

'No, no way they made bail, we were able to see to that at least. Rest easy on that score. If that should change for any reason you'll be informed immediately and your Mom has already posted a motion with the court that if and when they are released, including after they've served their term in the Penitentiary, you are to be informed of the date and time.'

Daria considered this for a time, then nodded. 'OK, I guess I'm in but... will... will their lawyers question my sanity? Or competence?'

'Well they could but why should that be a problem. You seem perfectly sane to me, and you're already a better witness than half the people we put on the stand.'

In a very quiet voice Daria answered 'I may have suffered brain damage... they don't know yet but I'm scheduled for a battery of cognitive tests when I get out of here to determine...' She stopped talking and seemed to have some sort of internal conflict. 'I kinda always liked my brain, you know?' She had turned and was looking at him directly, this was not a rhetorical question.

'Let me tell you a little about myself.' Chip then told her something of his childhood. 'So I think we have this much in common, you and I' he concluded 'We both prize our books above a dukedom.'

She actually laughed out loud at that 'I thought you'd have been auditioning for Othello rather than Prospero?' she said, and instantly regretted it. 'Oh God I'm sorry, despite all my mighty principles I discover I'm still a redneck asshole, sorry I...'

'Forget it, it's nothing, really. I actually did play Othello in college, I didn't like him much, he was a bitter man. I'd a busted his ass for murdering his wife like that. There aren't any good cops in Shakespeare, more's the pity. My Mercutio was the talk of the college drama society though, I liked him.'

'They teach drama in cop school?'

'Law school, actually, and if you think about it you'll see why it's important, I've seen your Mom in court, she could give Katherine Hepburn a run for her money when she's in front of a jury.'

'Hah, I can believe that.' She regarded him for a few moments. His gentle smile told her that he'd taken no offense at her gaffe. She still felt embarrassed about it though. Thinking to get past the awkward moment she asked 'So I take it my family have told you everything about me up to and including my bra size... so tell me something more about yourself, where'd the bibliophilia come from?'

'Ah, that would be my Irish grandmother, my Pop brought her over after his Dad died and she got a job in a used bookstore, ended up owning and running it. She's retired now of course, after all she's ninety-seven. She used to be a librarian in Galway when she was younger.'

'Yep, that would do it. So you had access to lots of books when you were a kid?'

'Yes, lost count of how many I read, my room didn't need heat in the winter 'cause of the books lining the walls, they make great insulation.' He smiled at the memory.

'OK, I'm curious now, what was it?'

'Hmm? He asked, surprised at the non-sequitur.

'The sugar, you said you had something lined up, I'm all curious now.'

'Ah, well, I have a couple of things with me, one is a gift for you to keep, the other's are... let's call them family heirlooms, I just thought you'd find them interesting.'

'You really shouldn't have brought me a gift... it wasn't necessary...'

'See, everybody from your Principal to your sister said you can be a bit... prickly, I wanted some ammunition.'

'God, don't tell me you really know my bra size... we're on the eighth floor here, I can just jump out the window to save myself further embarrassment.'

He gave her a wry look, she obviously wasn't serious and he could see the smile playing around the corners of her mouth. He decided to pay her back in kind. 'Well if you're not interested I'll bring these back home now and not waste your time...'

'Don't you dare! I'm bored out of my mind in this godforsaken hellhole, if you've brought books gimme gimme, I wanna see!'

Chip looked around at the godforsaken hellhole, which was as much luxurious hotel room as it was hospital room and then looked back at her, seeing her expression he understood. Even a gilded cage was still a cage. He opened his bag and took out the wrapped parcel first and handed it to her. 'It's not new or particularly valuable, but I think you might like it.'

She carefully removed the giftwrap and examined the book. It was a nineteenth century leather bound British copy of Jane Eyre, it would probably have been valuable to collectors save for the fact that the cover had been damaged by fire at some time. The book itself was in perfect condition otherwise and Daria instantly fell in love with it. She had read the book before of course but this, this was special! She grinned at him, something she rarely did and it lit up her face, still showing evidence of the beating it had received, but beautiful now in its expression of joy. Momentarily at a loss for words she blushed and looked down, then in a tiny voice said 'Thank you. I don't deserve something like this.'

'I think Gandalf had something profound to say about what people did or didn't deserve, didn't he?'

Daria nodded, enjoying the shorthand of discussion between book lovers, knowing he was also telling her something about herself and what she did or did not deserve. She did not deserve what happened to her in the alley behind Dega Street... no one did... ever. She found herself nodding in agreement with something that hadn't actually been said out loud. She looked at him, holding his gaze. "Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course." she quoted.

'If you don't we'll start calling you Cleopatra.' Chip said with a wink.

'Huh?'

'Queen of denial.'

'Oh, har har har. Have you been taking lessons from the artist formerly known as Jane Lane?'

'Formerly?'

'Soon to be known as the Late Jane Lane.'

'She is a sweetheart, isn't she?'

'Bitch.' But Daria said this with an affectionate smile. 'Look, I am dealing with it, ok? It takes time for wounds to turn into scabs and when they heal they leave a scar. I'll never be the same as I was, I used to think I was this hard boiled cynic "Casting a cold eye on life, on death", but I was a total innocent and a bloody fool.' She held up her hand to stop his protest. 'No, I was a fool, I am a young woman in the twentieth century and I walked up a dark alley at midnight on my own, I may as well have hung a sign saying "kick me" on my back. Don't try and tell me any different. I am some percentage responsible for what happened to me, maybe if I hadn't kicked that... him... I wouldn't have been stabbed or even beaten.'

'Stop that, stop that right now, don't think that way. If you hadn't fought you could be standing in a court right now with some sneering lawyer telling you that you really wanted it and just called the cops when they wouldn't pay you.' Daria blanched when he said this. He continued 'Even as it stands judges never hand down severe enough sentences for rape, the attempted murder charge carries much more weight and no lawyer can say you asked for that.'

'You don't have a high opinion of lawyers, I take it.'

'Well, there's lawyers and then there's lawyers. We've prosecuted a few cases, mostly it's date rape we deal with, you know, she said "no" but he didn't "hear" it. In cases like that they'll bring up a crush you had on Donny Osmond and tell the jury it means you're promiscuous. I've had women telling me the ordeal in court was worse than the original assault, that's why so much rape goes unreported. I don't even want to begin to tell you what goes on if the guy happens to be rich.'

Daria was still for a while, digesting this. Then she said 'You're saying I'm lucky then?'

'You were really unlucky, then you had a lot of good luck, then we had the sort of luck in catching those two that's as rare as a lottery win, then you nearly died, then you survived. Are you keeping score? I'd say you maybe broke even, maybe a little ahead, you're still here and that's a good thing. You've still got a future, make the most of it.' He grinned.

'Thank you Yoda.' She answered sarcastically, then smiled despite herself. 'Go on, show me your family jewels.'

He looked startled for a moment, then laughed. He reached into his bag again and took out two objects, obviously books, wrapped in linen. He laid them on the bed and carefully unwrapped them.

'These were a gift from my grandmother to my daughter. They're a matched pair. This is the original German first edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales and this is the first American translation.' Daria reached for the books, paused and looked to him for permission, he nodded and she wiped her hands on the bedsheets and then took up the books. "Kinder und Hausmärchen" she read. Looking at the title page she saw it had been published in 1812. "Rotkäppchen" she said then. 'The first full version of "Little Red Riding Hood", "Little Red Cap" literally.'

'Yes, I watched a documentary about the evolution of fairy tales from old folk tales, cautionary tales for little folk, to embellished and rather naughty versions for the court of Louis Quatorze and then they became Mother Goose tales, bedtime stories for children. My daughter is dyslexic, I was reading to her long after most kids are reading on their own. I must have read through this book.' he said, indicating the American volume 'at least fifty times, I know the stories by heart. It's amazing the amount of earthy wisdom is embedded in the old stories. Old wives' tales, grandmothers' tales I suppose, they actually had educational value.'

'Hold on, you said naughty?'

'You don't want to know... you do? How about Cinderella's glass slipper?' Daria nodded, doubtfully. 'Well the French word for glass is "verre" which is also a colloquial word for "fur", so the Prince went about the town trying on all the girl's fur slippers...' He waited.

'Ewwwwwww! Why did you tell me that? Now I'll never get the image out of my head. Gah!'

He shrugged 'You asked. You won't see that in the Disney version. There's a lot of symbolism in the Red in Little Red Riding Hood too, in the early version the wolf tells her to take off her clothes and get into bed with him, as I said, cautionary tales.'

'There was a lot of that sort of thing in that "Company of Wolves" film, I actually didn't get it when I saw it but I'm starting to understand it now.'

'In the very early versions she gets eaten by the wolf and dies. It's really a finger wagger, don't walk alone in the woods or the wolf will eat you. In later versions she gets swallowed whole but a woodsman comes along and kills the wolf with his ax, then cuts the wolf open for its skin and out pops Little Red, alive and safe, but hopefully older and wiser, and minus a grandmother.'

'Nowadays the wolf would just say he was sorry and go off to become a vegetarian and they'd all live happily ever after.' Daria sneered. 'Saturday morning cartoons, no trace of reality permitted or somebody will get offended.'

They sat in silence for a while. Daria deep in thought, Chip waiting. Eventually she said 'Did my Mom or someone put you up to this?'

He shook his head. 'Daria, I'm a father. I have two girls and a boy. If something happened to my girls... or any of my kids... like what happened to you I would die, or at least I would want to die. I had coffee with your Dad yesterday and we basically compared notes, we both have kids who are going to shine brighter and go further than we ever could. As Dads all we can do is be supportive, be available to pick you up when asked and hand over the occasional twenty for pizza.  
Sometimes the wolf gets you and sometimes you get the wolf, you take a risk every time you get out of bed. You can't stay in bed.'

'I guess. Thanks for today's lesson. Thanks for everything I suppose. I'll just have to do what people have always done, have a cry and then get on with it. I had already decided not to let it define me. Jane asked if I thought it might make me gay, I told her no, I have a small suspicion she was a bit disappointed.' She smiled ruefully. 'Though I can't imagine myself dating anybody now.'

'Time wounds all heals. People talk about living day to day but in truth there's no other way to do it. You can imagine what you'll feel like tomorrow or next week or next year, you could write it all down as a series of predictions but they're likely to be as accurate as predicting the lottery numbers. Wait and see is not a bad philosophy, especially at your age.'

'Yes Obi-Wan. You're leaving?'

'Gotta go and pick up my daughter from her soccer game. I'll see you again, when the trial comes up at least. Call down to the station to see me if you need to ask me anything, I'm there most days.'

'Thanks again, Chip.' She giggled. 'You know that's a ridiculous name for someone like you, you should go for something with more gravitas, don't you think?'

'My Mom called me Chip, I'm kinda used to it.' He grinned. 'Take care Daria, be well.'

'You know what, Chip? I think I just might.'


End file.
